Gondola car.



PATENTED AUG. 7, 1906.

R. G. HUTGHINS. GONDOLA GAR.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca., WASHINLI: w n. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GONDOLA' CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1906.

Applicationfiled February 12, 1906. Serial No. 300,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH G. HUTCHINS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imrovement in Gondola Cars, of which the folowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gondola cars or cars which are used for carrying coal or other merchandise in one direction and in the other direction lumber or other like freight requiring the load to be piled higher than the sides and ends of the car-body. Heretofore the sides and ends of such cars have usually been furnished with sockets or straps to receive wooden stakes to enable the car to be loaded higher than its sides and ends, the lumber-shipper himself making and fitting the stakes into the sockets or straps provided on the sides and ends of the car to receive them. The supplying and fitting of these Wooden stakes to these sockets is not only a matter of great inconvenience and delay, but also a matter of considerable expense, both on account of the high quality and cost of the lumber necessary for such use, but also on account of the time and labor involved, the same amounting ordinarily to several dollars per car, as the stakes are not returned even in the remote contin ency of the same car being sent directly bac for another load to the same shipper. The wooden stakes also if not made from very carefully selected lumber are also liable to bend and permit the load to shift to one side and derail the car and wreck the train or to break, and thus cause loss and damage. These temporary wooden stakes also occasion difliculty and inconvenience between the shipper and the railroad as the weight of the empty car is ordinarily taken without the stakes, although the railroad companies make an allowance of five hundred pounds to cover the Weight of the wooden stakes, which the lumber-shipper makes, supplies, and adds to the car to adapt it to hold the load.

The object of my invention is to provide the gondola car itself with permanent metallic stakes of a strong, simple, efficient, and durable construction which may be collapsed within the height of the car-body when they stakes are not required for use and extended to the desired height when re uired for use, and in which the metallic sta es may serve as substitutes for or to strengthen and reinforce the ordinary wooden posts with which I gondola cars are ordinarily provided to support the sides and ends of the car-body.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or resultthat is to say, it consists in connection with the sides and ends of a gondola-car body provided with a series of sockets or straps to receive the upright posts of the carbody of a series of hollow metallic posts secured in the post sockets or straps and a se-.

ries of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes composed of a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting in and telescoping with the hollow metallic post and the upper or adjacent section fitting and telescoping within the lower stake-section, so that the stake sections may be collapsed within the len th or height of the hollow metallic post, an means for holding or looking the several telescopic sections in their extended or partially extended positions. Each of the hollow metallic posts and each of the cooperating telescopic stake sections may be made of any suitable form in crosssection, but I prefer to make them square or rectangular instead of round, triangular, polygonal, or of other form. For holding or locking the several telescoping sections in their extended or partially-extended position the same are preferably furnished with registering longitudinal slots through which a key having a head at one end and an arrow-point at the other may be inserted.

The upper section of each of my extensible and collapsible gondola-car stakes is prefer ably provided with an eye through which a wire or other tie may be inserted to bind or tie the stakes on opposite sides of the car together at the top. The upper section of each of the metallic stakes is also preferably pro vided with a flange or cap at its upper end to cover the ends of the sections below it and prevent rain, snow, ice, or dirt from entering between the sections and interfering with the operation.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devicesland in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gondola car embodying my invention, the figure, however, showing but onehalf of the entire length of the car-body. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, enlarged, on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section on line 4. 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail cross-sectionifif line 6 6 of Fig. 1. I

In the drawings, A represents the body of a gondola car, having the customary upright sides a and ends a and 0st sockets or straps (1 secured to the outer amework of the carbody.

B B are a series of hollow metallic upright posts fitting at their lower ends in the postsockets of the car-body and to which the sides a and ends a of the car-body are secured by suitable bolts. Each of the hollow metallic posts B have integral lateral flanges 6, through which the bolts 1) are inserted. The number of the hollow metallic posts B corresponds to the number of stakes which it is desired to employ. I prefer, however, to make all of the upright posts B of the car uniform, although, of course, those which are to receive. no stakes may, if desired, be of the ordinary wooden construction heretofore in use.

D are a series of extensible and collapsible metallic stakes, each composed of a lower section-d and an upper section d, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metal post B and the upper section (1 fitting and telescoping within the lower section (1 of the stake, so that both sections of the stake may be collapsed within the length or height of the hollow metallic post B. The several sections of each of the extensible and collapsible stakes D and the hollow metallic post B may be of any desired or suitable form in cross-section. I prefer, however, to make them of a square or rectangular form and hollow, as illustrated in the drawings. The hollow metallic post B is furnished near its upper end with a key-slot b and the lower stake-section cl is furnished with a corresponding key-slot d at its lower end and also at or near its upper end and the upper postsection is also preferably furnished with similar key-slots (1 near its lower end and also near its upper end, and with one or more such key-slots at intermediate positions, so that the upper stake may be extended half its length or its whole length, as may be desired. The key-slots in the several sections register with each other when the sections are in their extended positions and are held in such ex tended positions by keys F, each having a head f and an arrow-pointf. The head and arrow-point of the key form shoulders which engage the extremities of the key-slots when the key is inserted and the stake-sections extended and resting on the key, so that the cooperating stake-sections securelylock the key in place. The post B is preferably furnished at its upper end with an eye or lug to which the connecting-chain f is attached, so that the key F, which is connected to the other end of the chain, cannot become detached or stolen or lost. The lower section d of the collapsible and extensible metallic stake D is also provided with a similar collar d and eye Efflug d for attachment of the connectingchainf and its key F. The upper section d of the extensible and collapsible metallic stake is provided with a cap or flange d, which fits over and serves to cover the upper ends of the lower section (1 and of the post B, so as to exclude rain, snow, ice, or dirt. At its upper end the upper section d of the stake is also furnished with an eye or lug d to receive a wire or other tie G, by which the post on opposite sides of the car may be tied to gether when required or desired. Each of the stake-sections d d is also preferably provided at or near its lower end with a springcatch H, havinga hook or shoulder h, adapted to engage a corresponding recess or notch h in the post or adjacent section of the stake, and thus prevent the sections of the stake being entirely removed from each other or from the post. These spring-catches H are preferably secured to the post-sections on the inner side thereof near their lower ends by rivets 7L2.

I claim- 1. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower geifion of the stake, substantially as speci- 2. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plural ity of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, and means for holding or looking the several sections in their extended or partially-extended positions, substantially as specified.

3. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body. provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, the hollow metallic posts and the sections of the metallic stakes being provided with key-slots and keys for holding the stake-sections extended, substantially as specified.

4. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping Within the lower section of the stake, the hollow metallic posts and the sections of the metallic stakes being provided with key-slots and keys for holding the stake-sections extended, said keys having each a head and an arrow-point to form locking-shoulders to engage the extremities of the key-slots, substantially as specified.

5. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping. sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, the upper section of each of the stakes being provided with eyes ,or lugs for attachment of a tie substantially as specified.

6. In a gondola car, the combination of the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic osts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and'the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, the sections of the stakes having at their upper ends collars or flanges, substantially as specified.

7. In a gondola car, the combination of the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, the sections of the stakes having at their upper ends collars or flanges, and the upper section of the stake having a cap or cover, substantially as specified.

8. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower sections of the stake, and means for preventing the several stake-sections from being withdrawn and removed, substantially as specified.

9. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, and means for holding or looking the several sections in their extended or partially-extended positions, and springcatches for preventing withdrawal of the sections, substantially as specified.

10. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with a series of post sockets or straps, of a series of hollow metallic posts and a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of telescoping sections, the lower section fitting and telescoping within the hollow metallic post and the upper section of the stake fitting and telescoping within the lower section of the stake, the metallic post having near its upper end a notch and the lower section of the stake having near its lower end a spring-catch to engage the notch in the post and prevent withdrawal of the stake-section, substantially as specified.

11. Thecombination with a hollow metallic gondola-car post, of a metallic extensible stake comprising a plurality of telescoping sections and means for locking and holding the lower stake-section extended in the post and the upper stake-section extended in the lower stake-section, substantially as specified.

12. The combination with the hollow metallic gondola-car post, of a metallic extensible stake comprising a plurality of telescoping sections and means for locking and holding the lower stake-section extended in the post and the upper stake-sectionextended in the lower stake-section, and means for preventing the withdrawal of the lower stakesection from the post, substantially as specified.

RALPH G. HUTOHINS. Witnesses:

PEARL ABRAMS, H. M. MUNDAY. 

